USPTO Patents Application 09746677

Application N6. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Arty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U. 2155

Amendments to the Claims

This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the
application:

1 . (Currently Amended) A method comprising:

dividing a s e t of target devices to which a message is targeted into subsets of
target devices, wherein a subset to which a particular device belongs is determined based
on an identifier of the device and [[the]] a number of subsets [[of]] to which the target

devices are divided ; and

varying a timing with which the message is communicated to the respective
subsets of target devices.

2. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1 wherein determining the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted comprises:

broadcasting the message over a network;

receiving one or more responses to the message from target devices coupled to the
network;

estimating a number of devices coupled to the network; and
determining a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated
number of devices coupled to the network.

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Application NO. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Atty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U.2155

3. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 1 wherein determining the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted comprises:

multicasting the message to a subset of a network;

receiving one or more responses to the message from target devices of the subnet;
estimating a number of devices in the subnet; and

determining a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated
number of devices in the subnet.

4. (Currently Amended) An article comprising a machine-accessible
medium to provide machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more
electronic system to:

divide a^set-of target devices to which a message is targeted into subsets of target
devices, wherein a subset to which a particular device belongs is determined based on an
identifier of the device and [[the]] a number of subsets [[of]] to which the target devices
are divided ; and

vary a timing with which the message is communicated to the respective subsets
of target devices.

5. (Previously Presented) The article of claim 4 wherein the instructions that
cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the subset of target devices to
which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of instructions that, when
executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

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Application No. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Arty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U.2155

broadcast the message over a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices coupled to the
network;

estimate a number of devices coupled to the network; and
determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices coupled to the network.

6. (Previously Presented) The article of claim 4 wherein the instructions that
cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the subset of target devices to
which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of instructions that, when
executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

multicast the message to a subset of a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices of the subnet;
estimate a number of devices in the subnet; and

determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices in the subnet.

7. (Currently Amended) An electronic data signal embodied in a data
communications medium shared among a plurality of network devices comprising
sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause one or more electronic systems to:

divide a set of target devices to which a message is targeted into subsets of target
devices, wherein a subset to which a particular device belongs is determined based on an

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Application No. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Arty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U.2155

identifier of the device and [[the]] a number of subsets [[of]] to which the target devices
are divided ; and

vary a timing with which the message is communicated to the respective subsets
of target devices.

8. (Previously Presented) The electronic data signal of claim 7 wherein the
sequences of instructions that cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of
instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

broadcast the message over a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices coupled to the
network;

estimate a number of devices coupled to the network; and
determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices coupled to the network.

9. (Previously Presented) The electronic data signal of claim 7 wherein the
sequences of instructions that cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of
instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

multicast the message to a subset of a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices of the subnet;

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Application No. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Atty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U.2155

estimate a number of devices in the subnet; and

determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices in the subnet.

10. (Original) A method comprising:

dividing a set of target devices to which a message is targeted into multiple
subsets of target devices, wherein the subset to which a particular device belongs is
determined based on an identifier of the device; and

varying a timing with which the respective subsets of devices respond to the
message.

11. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 10 wherein determining the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted comprises:

broadcasting the message over a network;

receiving one or more responses to the message from target devices coupled to the
network;

estimating a number of devices coupled to the network; and
determining a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated
number of devices coupled to the network.

12. (Previously Presented) The method of claim 10 wherein determining the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted comprises:

multicasting the message to a subset of a network;

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Application No. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Arty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U.2155

receiving one or more responses to the message from target devices of the subnet;
estimating a number of devices in the subnet; and

determining a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated
number of devices in the subnet.

1 3 . (Previously Presented) An article comprising a machine-accessible
medium to provide machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more
electronic system to:

divide a set of target devices to which a message is targeted into multiple subsets
of target devices, wherein the subset to which a particular device belongs is determined
based on an identifier of the device; and

vary a timing with which the respective subsets of devices respond to the
message.

14. (Previously Presented) The article of claim 13 wherein the instructions
that cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the subset of target devices to
which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of instructions that, when
executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

broadcast the message over a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices coupled to the
network;

estimate a number of devices coupled to the network; and

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Application No. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Atty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U. 2155

determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices coupled to the network.

15. (Previously Presented) The article of claim 13 wherein the instructions
that cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the subset of target devices to
which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of instructions that, when
executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

multicast the message to a subset of a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices of the subnet;
estimate a number of devices in the subnet; and

determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices in the subnet.

16. (Previously Presented) An electronic data signal embodied in a data
communications medium shared among a plurality of network devices comprising
sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause one or more electronic systems to:

divide a set of target devices to which a message is targeted into multiple subsets
of target devices, wherein the subset to which a particular device belongs is determined
based on an identifier of the device; and

vary a timing with which the respective subsets of devices respond to the
message.

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Application No. 09/746,677

Amendment dated July 6, 2004

Response to Final Office Action of April 5, 2004

Arty. Docket No. 042390.P9701
Examiner Nguyen, Thu Ha T.

TC/A.U.2155

17. (Previously Presented) The electronic data signal of claim 16 wherein the
sequences of instructions that cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of
instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

broadcast the message over a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices coupled to the
network;

estimate a number of devices coupled to the network; and
determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices coupled to the network.

18. (Previously Presented) The electronic data signal of claim 16 wherein the
sequences of instructions that cause the one or more electronic systems to determine the
subset of target devices to which the message is targeted further comprises sequences of
instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic systems to:

multicast the message to a subset of a network;

receive one or more responses to the message from target devices of the subnet;
estimate a number of devices in the subnet; and

determine a number of subgroups based, at least in part, on the estimated number
of devices in the subnet.

19-24. (Withdrawn)

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